WASHINGTON -- A 50 percent increase in gasoline and diesel fuel taxes is being urged by a federal commission to finance highway construction and repair until the government devises another way for motorists to pay for using public roads.

The National Commission on Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing, a 15-member panel created by Congress, is the second group in a year to call for higher fuel taxes.

So the push for more fuel efficiency combined w. a recession has led to decreased revenue from gas taxes. Who would'a thunk it? So of course the response is a call to tax the sh*t out of us some more.

The sh*tstorm that hit Zumbo wasn't mostly about the guns not being good for hunting, that's just a non-thought out opinion, it was that he called them terrorist weapons and that they should be banned. My reply:

Your analysis of the Zumbo affair is not entirely complete. Through your own link he did much more than state that he felt "Assault Weapons" weren't good for hunting. That is merely and uneducated opinion. What really got the sh*tstorm to hit was his statement that they were 'terrorist rifles' and that they should be banned from outdoor activities.

That showed not only a level of ignorance and elitism from someone who was a 'lifelong hunter' but also gave ammunition to all the anti-gun groups. Within a few weeks, the Brady Campaign and others were repeating his words as the voice of hunters in the US.Calling a firearm an "assault weapon" in no way makes it more or less accurate. There are many different configurations of the many models out there, hunting, home defense, target shooting, etc. What it boils down to is that an 'assault weapon' is merely a semi-auto firearm that has cosmetic features similar to some military firearms. They function no different than any other semi-auto.

The Rev. spoke out in ignorance and hostility and was responded to in kind. Many gun owners are tired of being called terrorists and criminals because they choose to be gun owners.

Update: Seems that being polite and presenting counter information isn't as effective as she claims.

That's really all I have to say on the subject. I'm not going to answer any more comments on it. Sorry, I'm just out of time and interest.

Nutball sites like Democratic Underground, MoveOn, Huffpo, and Daily Kos have had a hayday the last 8 years feeding their severe cases of Bush Derangement Syndrome. While I am in no way a fan , these poor deluded souls are now going to be relegated to what the "Rightwing" sites have had to deal w/, only being able to reference the past for mistakes of the current administration and cries of 'obstructionism'. I'm seeing it already. Continuing references to Palin and McCain as if they're still relevant, 'but Bush did XYZ', etc. etc. They'll be able to play that game for awhile, but it will get old quick as the incoming administration starts making its own flubs and foibles.

What they're really going to hate is the traditional pattern of the media and celebrities. They've raised the Lightbringer to that status, now w/ him in the spotlight, it's time for them to knock him down. Everytime he takes a crap, the 'mainstream media' will be there to count the corns and anal-yze the texture. Recent reports have stated that he's already grating at the attention which will only make them even more determined to pressure him. Nothing sells better than a celebrity throwing a fit or having a breakdown.

Will they look critically at their own party during this period or will they stay quiet and support their own 'dear leader w/o question? That's been a regular attack against the Stupid Party.

It's been an interesting year. Lots of successes. Two big losses (death of Heston, Obama victory). Much drama. Our community has grown considerably. We've had our family squabbles but we're still here. I've met lots of good people both in real life and the intersphere, hopefully to really meet sometime in the future. The support for the UMPC went beyond anything I originally expected leading to a second order of patches in expanded colors. The 2A Blogger Bash was a hit at the 2008 NRA convention .

What I know is that I'm looking forward to another year, no matter how rocky it may be.

"Former Illinois Atty. General Roland Burris called him to say he was storing a gun in Decatur because he forgot to renew his registration, Mell said. The engraved shotgun was given to Burris by Illinois State Police when Burris left office, the alderman added."

Monserrate - who just racked up his second arrest after an alleged violent outburst - claimed to be struggling with psychological issues when he quit the NYPD after 11 years.

His May 19, 1999, application for a disability pension was troubling enough that cops immediately seized his guns, public court filings show...

Yesterday's bust on charges that he slashed his girlfriend was the second time Monserrate faced a judge after a nasty confrontation.

He was arrested in the early-morning hours of Sept. 11, 2001, on charges of trying to run over a tow truck operator attempting to repossess his car. The outcome of that case could not immediately be determined.

Note nothing is said about the drastic reductions in the Chicago Police or the rampant gang wars currently going on.

Again:

"Sure, I'll support more gun laws for you, as soon as you write the names of every family member and neighbor that belongs to a gang and has a gun hidden on this sheet of paper. Let me know when you're done and we'll hold a joint press conference to name names and start to really bring the cycle of violence to an end."

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In response to a man dressed in a Santa suit opening fire at a home in Colvino, California, shooting an eight-year-old girl in the face, her 16-year-old sister in the back, then killing eight others and himself, Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign, issued the following statement:

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and community touched by this terrible tragedy. It is profoundly sad that a distraught man would take up arms to kill his family and others.

"In this season of hope, however, we should not despair and say this kind of violence is inevitable. We should not tolerate the steady drumbeat of gun deaths and injuries that tears our families and communities apart. We can and should do all that is within our power to find solutions to gun violence.

"In the New Year, we hope that our nation's leaders have the courage and conviction to take steps that will help protect our families and communities from gun violence."

Why don't you emphasize the "strong, commonsense gun laws" that are already in place in California giving it the top score in your rankings? What other laws do you want that would have stopped this? A complete gun ban? Oh, right, you don't support gun bans. Except when you do.